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Soccer lovers across the country are guaranteed an exciting football extravaganza with some clubs said to have promised their players lucrative bonuses should they land the trophy which has prizemoney of $100 000.

 

The winners are guaranteed $150 000 for participation in next year’s Caf Confederation Cup.

The Castle Lager Premier League chief executive officer Kennedy Ndebele said they were ready for kick-off and fans must be ready for great entertainment.

“The stage is set for the Mbada Diamonds Cup and it looks like we are going to have another great tournament. As PSL we are very excited about the competition and it is our hope that this great product will receive favourable response from all stakeholders including football lovers,” Ndebele said.

Clubs will have little or no burden in terms of paying players’ appearance fees as the tournament sponsors undertook to give $100 each to the 18 members in the squad.

Another factor for the players is the $500 award for the Man of the Match.

Highlanders’ Eric “Tsiba” Mudzingwa, who has established himself well as a central defender, said they were ready to gore Blue Rangers who they thumped 4-0 in a Castle Lager Premiership encounter at the beginning of the season.

In their last meeting, Milton Ncube scored a hattrick with Ozias Zibande, who has been out due to injury, finding the back of the net. 
Mudzingwa said they wanted to go beyond the first stage.

“It’s every team’s dream to win the cup and to be honest as Highlanders players we would like to lay our hands on the trophy. However, we must take each game as it comes and that is exactly what we are going to do.

“We do not want to bow out in the first round but this is a cup game and it is going to be tricky but playing at home we should make the most of it,” Mudzingwa said.

Last year Bosso were knocked out of the tournament by Zimbabwe Saints and just like last season, they get to meet a team that is swimming in murky relegation waters.

The Bulawayo giants felt the last kicks of a dying horse from Zimbabwe Saints last year and the question is will they evade the same fate against Blue Rangers tomorrow?

Highlanders’ hopes will be pinned on skipper Innocent Mapuranga, his assistants Mudzingwa and national team goalkeeper Ariel Sibanda, Beavan Chikaka and Bruce Kangwa.

Blue Rangers will bank on their goalkeeper Pedzisai Gumiremhete, Phillip Nelson, McDonald Motsi, Hillary Chombe and Scholar Hadebe.

Chicken Inn will play host to Gunners at Pelandaba Stadium on Sunday.

It will be a memorable return for the likes of Evans Chikwaikwai and Brian Mbiriri who used to play at Pelandaba Stadium during their days at Njube Sundowns.

Chicken Inn’s captain Felix Chindungwe, who was part of the team that lost 1-3 in the first round of last year’s Mbada Diamonds Cup against Kiglon, said they were geared for the tournament.

“This is more of a money game and being a cup game to us we are treating this game like a final. We are going to fight hard and see to it that we progress to the next stage but Gunners will come guns blazing and we are ready for them,” Chindungwe said.

Guide Goddard might partner Chindungwe in central defence as Herbert Dick was a bit unsettled during the Highlanders’ league match on Wednesday. Goddard missed the game due to suspension.
Some of the players expected to carry the day for Chicken Inn are Kudakwashe Mahachi, dreadlocked Chindungwe, Chikwaikwai, Thabani Goredema and Tendai Ndoro.

Struggling Quelaton, whose house is facing player unrest, are also taking the Mbada Diamonds Cup seriously.

They begin their campaign against defending champions Dynamos.

Goalkeeper Tapiwa Marime said Sunday’s game was a platform for them to prove that they deserve to play in topflight soccer action.

“We might be down but we are certainly not out. The good thing is that we go as underdogs and we have nothing to lose. The guys want to market themselves and these are games where one is required to shine and given a chance, I know whoever is selected will do a great job,” Marime said.

Fixtures
Tomorrow: Highlanders v Blue Rangers (Barbourfields Stadium), Monomotapa v Hardbody (Dulibadzimu), Motor Action v Caps United (Trojan), FC Platinum v Harare City (Nyamhunga).
Sunday: Dynamos v Quelaton (Rufaro), Chicken Inn v Gunners (Pelandaba), Buffaloes v Black Mambas (Sakubva), Shabanie Mine v Hwange (Maglas).